Walks through Spain, Italy and other places

Rest Day Friday April 17th Lucca

I decided to shout myself a nice dinner last night and enjoyed bean and spelt soup and chicken in capsicum sauce at my candle-lit table.

It was strange not following the ritual of packing up and leaving this morning. I went to the post office and negotiated the tricky business of sending a parcel as I forgot to leave the keys at the last B&B – whoops ! I went to the laundry and gave my things a proper wash as opposed to usual nightly wash basin effort. And I bought a good supply of blister patches, including cushioned ones for under the feet that the last place didn’t have.

The church of Sant Martin here has a labyrinth on an outside wall. These are found at a number of places along pilgrim routes and is a symbol not only of pilgrimage but of the journey of life itself.

I also visited the museum at Puccini’s birth house which was interesting . Not uncommonly in Italy there were four employees and I was the only visitor. Maybe they get big school groups.

I visited the famous piazza formed by houses built on the ruins of a roman era arena. It’s fascinating to see how houses were built into the ruins.

Today was a bit overcast and rainy with the same expected tomorrow so it will be my first day walking in the rain. Luckily it’s not a long walk.

I had a nice dinner last night . This is my bean and spelt soup

Labyrinth at San Martino symbolising pilgrimage.

I stocked up on blister patches

in common with many Italian towns, Lucca has retained a number of shop signs., I guess from the early 1900s

The outside of the piazza built on the renains of an Roman era arena showing the original stone and brick work

Inside the area of the original arena

At the Puccini museum – a Turandot costume from a 1926 New York production

Go Paul – even in the rain. I was discharged from hospital yesterday after a stay of 8 weeks. Home is sublime and will help me get totally better – even to get fit enough to go on mega walks like yours. Keep the blog going, we love it.